Taking BP out and about?

[rabernet]

If you knew how badly there are people out there in high places that want to legislate to take away our rights to even KEEP these animals, you'd probably think twice, even three times (hopefully more) before you take your snake and display it in public.

If you're relatively new to keeping these magnificent animals, I recommend a journey up to the Laws & Legislation forums and get yourself familiar with what's going on, and the climate of the political aspect of this.

First, I don't see a reason to give anyone un-necessary ammunition against us. Are the chances that you'll encounter someone who has an unreasonable fear of these animals high? I don't know. I do think it's likely, and all it takes is that person to make a complaint and then a letter to the editor, then a local interest story on the news. And then, because it's about snakes, it will likely spread. At the very least, HSUS and their team will have people looking just for local tidbits like this for their battle against our right to keep them as pets as an illustration of us as crazy and irresponsible owners. It doesn't matter that it's not necessarily irresponsible under normal cirucumstances, but it is in this political climate. But there are enough people in the general populace that are fearful of snakes or hate snakes, that a story like that and the push to pass laws to prevent it happening again would only gain those people's support.

Secondly, there's not ONE single benefit that your snake will get out of the experience. Not a single one. You put your snake in a stressful situation. And since they are so adept at hiding illnesses when they are sick or stressed, just as a survival instinct, you don't have any idea just how stressful it is to them to be not at optimal temperature for extended periods of time, not be able to sleep (you can bet they are on alert the entire time), not get water, and process all these new scents and sights.

The only benefit that I can see, if you even want to call it a benefit, is the owner feels a bit of coolness factor and enjoys a bit of the shock factor by walking around and parading their snake in public.

I would urge you to re-consider.